This worked example of how to identify and teach emotionally relevant words and phrases in a traditional rhyme / singing activity should help explain the ‘coggle vision’ planning approach, and demonstrate how the teaching of emotional language can easily become part of Early Years activities and routines.

The image below shows a completed version of the planning tool which identifies the words and phrases that feature in the traditional Sandy Girl (or Boy) song, along with our two extra verses and the likely language that will arise while engaging in the  activity.

 

See the little Sandy Girl sitting on a stone

Crying, weeping, because she’s all alone

Stand up Sandy Girl (or child’s name), wipe your tears away

Choose a friend who likes to dance, and take them out to play

Tra la la la la la la etc (clapping and dancing)

 

See the little Sandy Boy sitting on a chair

Huffing, puffing, because it wasn’t fair

Stand up Sandy Boy (or child’s name), blow your grumps away

Choose a friend who likes to dance, and take them out to play

Tra la la la la la la etc (clapping and dancing)

 

See the little Sandy Girl wide awake at night

Shaking, trembling, because she got a fright

Stand up Sandy Girl (or child’s name), wipe your tears away

Choose a friend who likes to dance, and take them out to play

Tra la la la la la la etc (clapping and dancing)

If you’d like to include the extra verses, we find it helps to have a ‘stone’ to sit on (a cushion or circle of carpet), a small stool or chair, and a blanket to lie under to help prompt the children to act out the different verses.

The song sheet shown below is also available to download via the link in the ‘Extra resources linked to this example’ box. It’s a useful prompt to help children join in with the words of the song but is also intended to be used as a teaching tool to support conversations about the lyrics and reinforce vocabulary learning.

As children become familiar with the language, song and activity, leave the prompt sheet on display in a play area and observe your children as they interact with it. Are they using the targeted language? Are they role playing and acting out the different emotion behaviours and regulation strategies?